Cool Weather Gardening

Don’t let cold temperatures and winter weather keep you from a beautiful garden. Winter vegetables and ornamentals, such as kale and collards, can stand up to the season while providing you with nutritious greens that also look beautiful in your landscape. These two greens also tend to develop better flavor after the first frost.

For your first garden, keep it simple, with three to four vegetables or ornamentals. Try planting your cool-weather gardens in raised beds, instead of directly in the ground. This helps control the climate, and makes harvesting easier. You can also use some type of insulation, such as plastic or burlap, to keep frigid weather from damaging your plants.

For more tips on winter gardening, visit the University of Illinois Extension website at web.extension.illinois.edu.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *